CESENATICO/STARNBERG, February 11, 2026
You never forget your first time—and that certainly applies to the Start Romagna Cup – 1st Trofeo Città di Cesenatico, the new ATP Challenger 50 tournament held from February 1 to 8 at the Circolo Tennis “Anselmo Godio” in Cesenatico, Italy.
The saying fits many of the protagonists of this inaugural edition: singles champion Oleg Prihodko of Ukraine, doubles winners Jarno Jans and Niels Visker of the Netherlands – both claiming their first titles at this level – as well as Carlos Bernardes, making his debut as tournament director after a 40-year career as a chair umpire, and the event’s organizers themselves. Born almost by chance, the tournament proved to be a winning bet, especially at a time of year not traditionally associated with major events on the Adriatic coast. For eight days, the venue on Viale Magellano hosted intense, high-quality matches in front of packed stands, with tickets sold out throughout the week.
“It was a week of great tennis with strong national exposure,” said Andrea Corsini, President of Start Romagna, as he looked back on the event with satisfaction. “The consistently large crowds confirm the quality of the tournament and our decision, as a company, to support it. We believe that events of this level strengthen local identity and create positive impacts on the surrounding area, with tangible benefits for the region and for the positioning of our company. It was a pleasure to present the trophy to the winner, Oleg Prihodko, whom I congratulate, as well as all the players who delivered a week of exciting and entertaining matches. Finally, my thanks go to everyone who worked to make the event a success, starting with tournament director Carlos Bernardes, Caponigri Events, and Leo Lucchi of Adriasport.”
Praise also came from the Mayor of Cesenatico, Matteo Gozzoli, who had already expressed his appreciation during Sunday’s award ceremony. “The first edition of this tournament was a real success,” he confirmed. “I mean in terms of attendance, the involvement of our city, and the high sporting level we managed to bring to Cesenatico. I’m happy that the players themselves told us they were impressed by the crowd, and we hope our city can become a regular stop on the Challenger Tour. I thank the Emilia-Romagna Region, Start Romagna, all the sponsors, the club management, and every single person who worked hard over these days. And of course, thanks to Paolo Caponigri for turning his brilliant idea into reality.”
Carlos Bernardes also experienced first-hand the welcoming spirit of the people of Romagna and closed his debut as tournament director with a suitcase full of emotions. “It was a fantastic experience, also on a personal level, thanks to all the different components: the crowd, the players, the line judges, the staff, and everyone involved,” he said. “I sincerely thank you for the trust you placed in me by inviting me to take on this role of responsibility for the first time. I accepted with enthusiasm and tried to put all my experience from the Tour to good use. Personally, I’m very happy with how it went and I can’t wait to return to Cesenatico next year with an even bigger tournament.”
That sounds very much like a promise—one backed up by the impressive attendance figures recorded at this first edition.
“Taking into account the tickets sold, about 1,700, and the guests we welcomed each day, we reach a total of over 2,000 people across the entire week,” explained event organizer Paolo Caponigri as he summed up the numbers.
“Around 500 attended Sunday’s final, considering that each of the two stands had a capacity of 226 seats. These figures go beyond our expectations and really speak for themselves. At the presentation, I said that bringing an ATP Challenger event to Cesenatico, after three very successful Beach Tennis World Championships, was a new and exciting challenge—and I think we can say without hesitation that we won that bet. Thanks also to the many tennis schools and clubs in the area, which were invaluable in providing young ball kids, and of course to all the companies and associations that helped deliver an event of the highest standard. Both the City of Cesenatico and Start Romagna have already asked us for an ‘upgrade’ of the event. The date is still to be defined, since in 2027 the Bergamo Challenger 125 will be held in the same week. We could try to move it earlier, perhaps to January around the holiday period, but we will evaluate which option is best.”
